Welcome Topman to San Francisco!

Although Topman is ubiquitous throughout its homeland in the UK, it has yet to establish a strong foothold here in the States. As of this Spring 2011’s new arrivals we in San Francisco can add our own Welcome Stranger to the very short list of places to obtain this highly affordable and coveted label stateside.

If you’re not familiar with Welcome Stranger, don’t feel too out of the loop, it has only been open in Hayes Valley for about six months! Even if you’re not of the male persuasion, the beautifully curated menswear only boutique is definitely worth a visit.

Their collection of Topman is highly shoppable.  I spotted a beautiful trench coat for an easy $161.00 and an indispensable classic cable knit sweater for $70.00.

If British style is not your bag, Welcome Stranger has a huge collection stocked from a great selection of American designers including Rag and Bone, Pennystock and Gant. The Topman suiting, jackets, sweaters and tops are not going to stick around S.F. for much longer so get in to Welcome Stranger before it’s all gone!

Cozy New Boutique Reliquary in Hayes Valley

Hayes Valley is finally having its day in the sun and one of the best new stores to open up in this tiny neighborhood is the fresh-faced Reliquary. The word reliquary can be defined as “A small box or shrine, usually highly ornamented, which protects or displays sacred relics.” The name is a perfect fit for this little gem of a boutique. The owner, Leah Bershad, has a clear vision for the store and her excellent taste shines through every single item. Reliquary does an incredible job of mixing amazing vintage finds with wearable new arrivals from American Vintage, Kain, Earnest Sewn and Majestic. I fell in love with a cozy red sweater from German knitwear company Maiami Basic for $216.00.  I also spotted an amazing floral Liberty of London vintage blouse for $46.00.

The store is tucked away on Octavia right off of Hayes and is much more spacious than it seemed on their opening night party, where one had to shove to take a peek at the racks. Next time you’re in Hayes Valley stop by Reliquary to score some museum quality vintage finds, stock up on great classic basics, and adorn yourself with stunning jewelry.

Ultra-Bleated Space Market

This is embarrassingly belated but the Space Market event that I hosted at the Space Gallery on December 12th was extremely successful.

I’m already thinking about the Space Market for February. I’m trying to think of ways to get people to stick around longer. Two ideas I have are a terrarium making table and a valentine card making table!

A lot of people came to the event, but after people saw what the vendors had to offer and bought what they liked, they left. I think that some seating or activities would have made the difference for that.

The Raffle was a huge success, I’ll definitely do that again.  We raised 65.00 for Heifer International, half the price of a goat for a family in need. Hopefully we can raise enough next time to send the money for the goat!

The next one is going to be totally Valentine Day themed! So whether you are taken or single, there will be something there for you.

Here are some photos from the last one, pardon the quality, they’re taken on a camera phone!

We raised 65.00 for Heifer International!

Hope to see you next time!

Fresh Year, Fresh URL

The holidays really kicked my ass this year. Its been well over a month since I posted to this little neglected blog and SO much has happened in the world of May and June.

I did 3 events for the holidays and organized one, The Space Market.  This event went so well that I’m going to do another one in February for Valentine’s Day that will be even BETTER.

My friend gave me the awesome Christmas present of MayandJuneClothing.com so I’m going to use it. For now, it’s just going to direct to this blog’o’mine but in the future I’m going to have a Real Website.

I got a ton of great pictures from my friend Astra of my new jewelry.

I’m going to start working on a project with a purse carrier messenger bag thing for girls that I designed a while back. I took to the events I did around the holiday and I got really good feedback.

I’ve marked down a ton of stuff on my Etsy so that I can sell it and start making new stuff. I have a ton of ideas for new designs!

There is already a lot going on so 2011 looks like its going to be a busy year for me!

 

 

 

May and June Jewelry at THE CANDYSTORE COLLECTIVE

I remember visiting this adorable store when it first opened in 2005 and I’ve been smitten ever since. The store has always been adorable and continues to get better and better.  They have a great affordable selection of designers and a seriously HUGE collection of jewelry by local designers in the store on 16th street.

I also seriously covet their absurdly huge collection of Woollys.  Woollys are these amazing felt pockets that allow you to put plants right on the wall! Candy Store has a huge amount of them and it really draws your eye to the store front.

Really though, the best part of the store is NOT the huge foliage selection, however much I may obsess about Woollys. They have a extremely well curated selection of some truly awesome and unique brands. They carry Rachel Comey shoes, Feral Childe clothing, and one of my personal all-time favorite lines Something Else.  They have an amazing men’s selection too and again, very selectively curated with Shades of Grey and beautiful suits by Vanishing Elephant.

I love Candy Store because it carries all these great lines and a ton of jewelry but the selection is nowhere near overwhelming. The owner has a very strong personal palate and it is reflected clearly in her buying.   One gets the impression that they are visiting someone’s house and getting to shop their taste.

The shop is also home to a small art gallery in the back, which is a relatively new addition to the store. I’m not sure what the featured artist is right now in the gallery but on their website it is Alyson Fox.

The owner has also just recently opened a new location on Bush and Fillmore which I had the chance to visit more when I worked in that neighborhood.  The art behind the sales counter is breathtaking as is the slightly more high-end selection of clothing and jewelry.

And in addition to all this amazing, awe-inspiring goodness, they are now carrying in the 16th Street store my new jewelry line. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to have something I made in this amazing space which is seriously on the top of my short list of boutiques in the city.

So if you have a chance to prance down the lovely 16th street above Valencia, home to many other cute stores, hop into Candy Store Collective to see my sweet-ass jewleries!!

Space Market Holiday 2010!!

I’ve been pretty much the worst blogger ever! I’ve let this blog languish for weeks and I feel bad about it. Blogging is so hard to keep up!

I’ve been pretty busy trying to putting with two of my friends: Mariele of Mariele Ivy Designs and the beautiful Christina, vintage clothing expert extraordinaire. We’re still hammering out a lot of the details but we know its going to be December 12th at the Space Gallery on Polk Street in S.F. and there are going to be A LOT of great vendors there!!  I really can’t overstate how great all the vendors are that I’ve found so far and I’ve JUST started to recruit people!  Click on the photographs to go to the vendor’s websites to learn more about them!

I hope you like what you see! Of course yours truly is going to be in attendance as well, selling a ton of new stuff! Plus the stuff that is still for sale on my Etsy! I’m working on a new line of jewelry and I’m coming out with a totally new BIKE related product that I can’t wait to share with you!! Stay tuned for bios and interviews with these featured designers and hopefully more designers and vendors to come as well.

MaaP Studio on Etsy

I can’t belive how long its been since I’ve posted on this little blog. I wish I could say I’ve been insanely busy but I’ve just had a case of laziness.

I’ve been getting really into jewelry lately, as I’ve been dabbling in making some myself.  The world of buying findings, charms and stones on Etsy has just started to open up for me and it is becoming scary for my bank account.

I am most attracted to the truly unique, in all things usually.

These porcelain jewelry pieces really stand out from the crowd of jewelry on Etsy.  They have a truly hand-made quality to them.  They look both very old-world but also have a strong hint of science fiction to them.

 

The muted colors and matte quality to the ceramic reminds me very strongly of a candy bowl that my grandmother used to have around.

This style is very common at thrift stores and is extremely nostalgic for me, and I’m sure I’m not alone on that one.  This contemporary jewelry line really brings this classic, nostalgic style of porcelain to mind.

They seem almost magical and their obvious extreme fragility adds to their preciousness.

I would love to wear one of the necklaces with a delicate white blouse or contrast it with a strong silhouetted black dress.

 

Le Muse on Etsy

I’ve been feeling a little cold as the fall is setting in San Francisco, our Indian Summer might finally be over.  We had the first rain the other day and it was a little sad.  Thankfully, with Fall weather comes cozy Fall fashions.  Nothing I’ve seen on Etsy is quite as cozy as the Le Muse line.

The line is based out of Lithuania and has a beautiful over all feel and look to it.  Even the photography that the designer uses has an enveloping warmth to it.  I just want to curl up in one of these items and never take it off!

I feel like all of the Le Muse garments, more so the sweaters and t-shirts, have a quality that I am constantly using as a benchmark for clothing.  They seem like something that would get worn every laundry cycle!  If I see a garment hanging on my laundry line over and over, thats a pretty good indication that I made a good purchase.

This draped T-shirt dress is one of those items.  It seems so cozy and easy it would be impossible not to wear it!  I love how well her photography shows off the ease of the garment.  She even conveys the softness of the gauzy fabric.  I am in love with this whole line.

I’m always a sucker for good jersey basics!  As usual, click on the photos to be directed to the Le Muse Etsy store.  She also has a beautiful website which can be visited here.

Take Off Your Clothes on Etsy

I love this Etsy seller’s use of shape.  I usually am more a fan of brightly colored or at least slightly colored garments. This designer however, breathes life into his styles with great use of pure shape, line and form.

The designer is based out of Brooklyn and has a very mysterious Etsy profile.  I did a little digging and you can read more about him here.

This is such a great top, it would look great under a blazer with the attached cowl neck draping over the more structured jacket.

This umbrella top is so fun! I love the simplicity of the black and white with this pattern. When the arms are down it looks like an ultra drapey T-shirt.  The style has a little bit of a circus-y look to it, which I love!

This is my favorite style of the bunch, he does a couple different fabric and print combinations with this simple yet clever design.

So awesome. Such a great take on the plain white T.   Click on the photos to visit this seller’s Etsy store!  Each garment looks so dramatically different from different angles and ways to wear it, the store is definitely worth a good look over.

May and June Jewelry and Clothing at THE COMMON!

So I’ve been working on a lot of jewelry that is MUCH different from the pieces that are now featured in my Etsy store.

I’m really bad and I didn’t take pictures of all the necklaces that I took to The Common, a new store that’s opening up THIS THURSDAY!!

I’m all abuzz about this amazing, beautiful new store that the brilliant girls of DNA (Designers + Artists) have opened. The space is AMAZING. You’ll really have to see it to believe it.  Its huge, huge, huge, with high ceilings and very creative lighting fixtures.  You’ll have to go there on Thursday to see what I mean!  They’re going to have coffee, bands, Djs, and fashion.  Pretty much anything you’d every want under one roof!  If you don’t belive me, their praises are already being sung by Daily Candy!

 

This necklace will be there!

This tunic, already sold out on Etsy, will also be there!

Swing by on Thursday to check out the store! Let me know what you think!